Spring Break chaos has arrived early in Mexico's Cancun this year with American college students already beginning their revelry across the resort.

Hundreds of students have been pictured starting the party early in the Mexican city today, drinking heavily and dancing the night away with marines on patrol to ensure no one gets too carried away.

This year Cancun was found to be the number one destination for students looking to enjoy the typically wild week-long holiday which doesn't usually get going until March.

Getting the party started: Students have already started hitting the clubs of Cancun, pictured last night, marking an earlier Spring Break than usual

On patrol: Mexican navy marines were out yesterday to ensure there was no trouble among Spring Breakers in the resort

However, some college students were out in force last night drinking and partying in the streets until the early hours, knocking back shots in images which they will be hoping don't make it back to mom.

'Spring break is a week of rest and relaxation. You get away from tests, midterms, homework, work, anything,' Sean Wells, a Senior at Indiana State University told wthitv.com.

Students certainly seem a long way from homework if the images which typically emerge from the resort are anything to go by.

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Hundreds of young revelers tend to be snapped in shorts and bikinis knocking back cocktails on the beach, in the hotel pools or worse for wear in the bars and on the dance-floor.

And it doesn't look likely to calm down this year.

In January, student travel agency STA reported the city was the most popular in terms of student travelers followed by Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and Puerta Vallarta also in Mexico.

Revelry: Cancun is regularly one of the top picks for American Spring-Breakers and is said to be the most popular choice of destination for students this year

Soak up the sun: Mexican Navy sailors patrol the beach as revelers relax during spring break last year

As student advice website Student
City says, visitors shouldn't be expecting a quiet time: 'In Cancun, the
party never stops, so you may want to choose your spring
break hotel based on the noise-level. Chances are that if you don't
choose a quiet one, you'll just be up for 7 days straight. And that may
not be a bad thing for some of you.'

However, no matter how many of them there are, it seems the party-goers won't be able to escape the long arm of the law.

Mexican Navy Marines were pictured patrolling the popular nightclubs of the city yesterday starting a season where on average 45,000 people will visit the resort.

The local tourist board is keen to maintain safety in the area, particularly amid fears in Mexico that tourism will decrease as a result of violence in the tourist town of Acapulco.

Six Spanish women holidaying there earlier this month were tied by their bikinis and raped and robbed by a gang of men.

Party by the pool: The resort's hotels are overrun by Spring Breakers - typically in March - but some colleges assign the week off in February

There have been six arrests in connection to the incident.

Jesus
Almagauer, chief executive of the Cancun Convention and Visitors
Bureau, said Cancun was not a city struggling to keep the peace.

'Last
year Cancun welcomed almost 4 million visitors, and while none of our
tourists were victims of violent crimes, we understand that safety is
always a concern when traveling to a foreign country,' he told the LA Times.

'In
response to that concern, and in an effort to dispel any misconceptions
about the destination, we always amplify our security protocol during
peak travel times to ensure the safety of every person visiting us.
[Cancun] has better safety records than most major U.S. cities.'

Last year the Department for Public Safety in Texas sparked a row with Mexican authorities for advising against travel to the resort - for the third year running.

They said violence between rival drug gangs as well as other crime posed safety issues for tourists.

Not in the library any more: Every year students head for sunnier climes during their week long break from college to enjoy days on the beach and nights on the dance-floor

Beach bodies: An American student on her spring break enjoys her drink at a hotel in Cancun last year

'The Mexican government has made great strides
battling the cartels, and we commend their continued commitment to
making Mexico a safer place to live and visit,' Texas Department of
Public Safety Director Steve McCraw said.

'However, drug cartel violence
and other criminal activity represent a significant safety threat, even
in some resort areas.'